Athens Review, Athens, Texas

Breaking News

Opinion

Discussion

September 11, 2009

MAIL CALL: We shouldn’t jump to conclusions

Is anyone else as disgusted as I am about the country's continued downhill slide into mindless partisan politics? There is an increasing — and disconcerting — tendency by too many people to immediately dismiss out-of-hand any idea on the basis of their "party label" or elected position.

I'm neither automatically for or against proposals advanced by Democrats, Republicans or Independents, and those who adopt such positions are part of the problem — not the solution. If citizens and elected officials are unwilling to make any effort to analyze the pros and cons of ideas, whether they involve health care, the economy or any other issue, they fail to live up to their responsibilities as voters and as leaders.

Case in point: President Obama's televised speech on Tuesday to school kids. Many conservatives were quick to criticize the talk as an attempt to "spread Obama's socialist ideology," and demand that their children not be exposed to such radical ideas.

The text of the talk was posted on-line the day before the telecast. I've read it, and didn't find any hidden left-wing plots. The speech tells kids what most conservatives have been preaching for years: work hard, stay in school, respect parents and teachers, there's no easy path to success.

Should parents be cautious about information being presented to their children? Absolutely — that's their responsibility. Another role of parents and educators is to teach children to think — to analyze issues and base decisions on facts, not ideology. If we can't do that, we don't really need schools, we just need factories for robots.

Jim Burnett

Athens

Text Only
Opinion
  • Kathi Nailling If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is

    Women got the right to vote when the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920.
    We take voting very serious.  Those women before me fought so I would have the right to cast my vote.  My sisters

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • art lawler cutout.jpg Tis a matter of the bladder — the screaming bladder

    One of the few advantages of growing older is that you can schedule the taking of your prescription drugs, based on  your own personal alarm clock.
    From what I’ve been told by the older folks, of which I’m a very borderline member, if you can’t remember any other time to take your pills, do it the first time your bladder wakes  you up in the middle of the night.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • art lawler cutout.jpg The Joe Pa story teaches us an old, old lesson

    Before we move too far away from the Joe Paterno scandal that dominated the last three months of his life, I’d like to take one last attempt at perspective.

    January 30, 2012 1 Photo

  • Kathi Nailling I can’t understand the remarks of one online columnist

    A recent column on an on-line website stated that “Three newspapers chains control dissemination of local news in Cedar Creek Lake area

    January 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • RICH-USE THIS ONE.JPG Young people will always be something good to talk about

    As the years pile up, there are many things I envy about young people.
    First of all, those people can sleep. I remember, when I was a kid, and would hear retired people talking about getting up at 4 a.m., having a cup of coffee and a big breakfast, I’d think — why?

    January 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Kathi.JPG Some people are very good and honest

    Sometimes it seems like all I  ever hear are how bad people are. I don't believe that. I think we all have some good in us.
    It could be because I work for a paper that I hear a lot of negativity.

    January 20, 2012 1 Photo

  • Founding fathers would fight for nativity scene

    If you were to ask the question, “What do the Christian Left and atheists have in common?” the answer might be that many of them believe in the modern version of separation of church and state. I believe the difference between them is that the Christian Left is just uninformed about the historical truths, while the atheist is being guided, knowingly or not, by the hand of Satan.

    December 20, 2011

  • Svehlak, Lange inside.tif A reminder of what matters most

    I have to be honest.
    When I first heard a group from Wisconsin wants to have the nativity scene removed from our courthouse square, after receiving an anonymous complaint from someone who was offended, I was furious.
     

    December 12, 2011 1 Photo

  • Kathi Nailling I cope with adversity by putting one foot in front of the other

    I am more than ready for a new year. As years go, this one has not been good.
     

    December 5, 2011 1 Photo

  • RICH-USE THIS ONE.JPG Drumgoole’s love for TVCC will long be remembered

    A few weeks ago, I drove to the Athens Country Club to cover a Rotary Club meeting and because I was running late ended up with a pretty long walk to the luncheon.

    October 28, 2011 1 Photo